Typewriting machine



TYPEWRITING MACHINE F'iledfJune 8, 1921 Alfio/may Patented May e, i923.

aaaia J FRANK ALLARD, 0F BRODKLYN,- NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPE- Y' AWBITEB' COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, .N. Y., A CORPORATION 0E DELAWARE.

TYPnwm'rrNG MACHINE.

Application lied June 8,' 1921. Serial` No-. 476,067.

To all 'wkomz't 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, J FRANK ALLARD, -a of the United States, residing in Brooklyn borough, in the county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful vImprovements vin Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to typewriting machines of the classfshown in the Wernery & Smit-h Patent, No. 1,132,055, in'which a longitudinally folded web is led around the revoluble platen of a typewriting machine, the latter havingprovision'for carrying carbons between the plies of the web and for shifting the carbons back to face fresh portions of the web as the typing proceeds; the web usually comprislng a succession of printed forms, each of which is torn oil as soon as typed. y

The present invention contemplatesV the use of separate plies instead of a folded web. These plies are each carried upon a spool mounted below and at the rear of the carriage, and diiculty is experienced in drawing the plies from the spools in the operation of line-feeding the plies around the platen. It is one feature of this invention to provide improved means whereby the plies may be withdrawn from the spools for a distance somewhat in excess of the .length of one form o r bill before the typing of a form is begun, the portions of the plies thus withdrawn hanging from the spools in loops which are used up in the process of typing a form. l

A further feature of this invention is the provision of separately mounted clamps on the carbon-paper carriage, one at each side I thereof, said clamps being independent of each other and each having means tending to hold the respective clamp in effective position to grip the work-sheets at the rear of the carbon-paper carriage. During the return of the carbon-paper carriage, when the carbon-sheets are moved rearwardly to face fresh portions o the plies of work-sheets, it

is necessary for the clamps to be in ineffective or non-gripping position, so that the clamps may move rearwardly with the carhon-paper carriage to fresh portions of the work-sheets. For this "purpose, means is provided for simultaneously operating both clamps to release them. When the carbonpaper Acarriage has been returned, and it is necessary to grip the work-sheets, the releasing meansis removed, and each clamp is restored to gripping or effective position by the means whichhold them normally in such position.

If the clamps were interconnected instead.

of independent, both would' swing toward gripping position when the releasing means was removed, and if one clamp contacted .with the sheets sooner? than the other, the latter would not be able to grip the' sheets iirmly. In the present invention, each clamp moves to effective positionrindependently, and each is operated by separate means for swmging the respective clamp tov gripping ened out and torn ofi". Any creeping which has taken place in the typed forms is eliminated, so far vas the remaining forms are concerned, when the 'typed forms are torn oli', since the clamps effectually prevent the relative shifting ofthe portions of the plies Ato the rear thereof.

t Other features andadvantageswill hereinafter appear.

.In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective .i

view of an Underwood continuous billing typewriter carriage, showing the present in- ;vention applied thereto.

Figure-2 is a side view, vertically i t1oned, of the carbon-paper carriage and a clamp mounted thereon, the clamp being in lowered or eifective position to gripthe plies of work-sheets.

:ApJ/Figure 3 is a View similar togEigure 2,-but showing the clamp in raised o'r ineffective i bon-sheets.

has fixed thereto a forwardly-extending tension to withdraw portions of the plies of work-sheets from their respective spools.

Figure 6 is aview similar to, Figure 5, but showing the carbon-paper carriage in rearward position, the portions of the plies unv wound from the spools hanging -in loops ,from their respective spools. I

In the Underwood continuous billing malextension 20 comprising side rails 21, u on which is mounted by rolls (not shown) a orwardly and rearwardly-reciprocating carbon-paper carriage 22 having stepped side pieces 23, upon which steps are mounted from alternate sides, carbon-sheet clamping bars 24 for clamping the rear ends of the carbon-sheets, plies of work-sheets passing from the rear and interleaving with the car- The carbon-paper carriage 22 handle 25 for returning the carbon-paper carriage to the rear to face fresh portions of the work-sheets.

The layers of work-sheets and carbonsheets are fed forwardly around the platen in the operation of typing a form on the work-sheets. The plies of work-sheets are usually supplied from large andV heavy spools mounted at the rear and below the carriage, and the burden of unwinding all lof the spools is carried by the line-space lever at eachx line-space ope-ration., This causes the platen to slip relatively to.. the web,vand it is, therefore, desirable td withdraw a sufiicient portion of the lies"v from the spools before the typing of a orm is bel gun, so that no further withdrawals from the spools need be made until the form is fully typed. After the typing of a form has been completed, the `carbon-paper carrage'is returned to the rear by means of handle 25 and the typed forms may then be severed. The parts are then in the Figure 1 position ready for the typing of the next form. Before such typing is begun, however, means is provided on the'carbompaper carriage for clamping or gripping the worksheets and for moving the carbon-paper carriage forwardly a distance equal to or slightly greater than the length of a form to unwind the spools upon which the plies are wound. v The carbon-paper carriage is4 thenagain .moved rearwardly, the unwound vportions ofthe plies hanging in loops from "the SpOIsf-'thusOHering littlegresistance to the forward movement of the carbon-paper carriage in the line-space operation, For

thus clamping the work-sheets, there is provided at each side of the carbon-paper carriage a fixed jaw 30 in the form of aflat plate 31 attached to the base of the'carbonpaper carriage, the jaw 30 extending to the rear ofthe carbon-paper carriage and inwardly for a short distance; ,Co-operating with each fixed jaw 30 is a swinging jaw 32 at the rearward end of an arm 33, which is.

pivotally mounted at -its forward end vat 34 on a portion 35, which maybe struck up from the plate 31, said jaw4 32 extending invwardly a distance substantially the vsame as jaw 30 and lodging in a depression 36 in the latter. Each set of jaws is normally held in gripping or effective-position by a spring 40 fixed to the plate 31 and to arm 33, so that.

any sheet passing between the jawsl will be firmly ment o jaws 32 against the action of their springs 40, there are provided locking'pins 41 operating in cam-slots 42 formedv in the arms 33, said A'pins being operated in said slots by arms 44, to which they are fixed, said arms 44 being fixed to a rock-shaft 45 gripped. To prevent upward movejournaled in standards .46,1 which may be struck u f rolnplate 31. For rotatingthe rock-sha ,there is provided a forwardlyextending link 49 terminating in a handle 50 adjacent the forward end of handle 25,-

so that the thumb and fore'finger can grasp the ends of both handles, the handle 50 op-l erating a rock-arm 51 fixed to the end of shaft 45. The handle 5() is provided with a slot 53, to embrace 'a guide-pin 52 fixed to handle 25, the link 49 being normally held rearwardly by a spring 54 fixed to handlel 25 and link 49, to hold arm 51 and larms 44 rearwardly, and, hence, maintain pins 41 at therear vof cam-slots 42 to loclcjaws 32 yagainst upward movement.

The jaws 30 and 32 of the clamps being l thus held in gripping relation and the parts being as shown in Figure 1, thev carbon-paper carriage is drawn forwardly a distance equal to or .exceeding the length of one form, as in Figure` 5, and 'is then returned to the 'Figure 1 position, the portions of the plies withdrawn from the spools hanging in loops, i

as shown in Figure 6. The typing may now proceed as usual without excessive -burden eing placed on the line-space handle inthe operation ofline-spacing the platen.` When a set vof forms has been fully typed and the carbon-paper carriage is to be. returned to the rear, means must be provided for releasing the clamps which holds the plies, so that the carbon-paper carriage may be fre-e to return,and so that tihe clamps'ma'y be moved rearwardly to grip a fresh portion of the plies. The clamps .are released by swinging arms 33,- and hence jaws 32,' upwardly, and for this purpose, vtha-end of handle 50 is pulled toward the end of handle' 25 against the' action of spring 54, theslot 53 moving forwardly until the pin 52 contacts with the rearward end thereof, and arm 51 being rotated forwardly to rotate arms 14 and pins 41 forwardly, the latter contacting with the under surfaces of arms 33 to raise said arms and jaws 32 to ineffective or non-gripping position, as in Figure 3. The carbon-paper carriage is returned to its rearward position and the' handle 50 is released, thus swinging pins 41 rearwardly and permitting springs 40 to snap the respective `jaws 32 independently into contact with jaws 30 to grip the plies one forni length to the rear of the former gripping point. The spring 54 draws the handle 50, arm 51, arms 44 and pins 4l rearwardly, said pins riding to the ends of cam-slots 42 .tov hold jaws 32 in the'lowered or gripping position. The carbon-paper carriage may then be ldrawn forwardly to unwind the spools preparatory to typing a set of forms, 'as hereinbefore described. Y

It will thus be seen that gripping of the work-sheets by the co-operating jaws 30 and 32 is insured in the effective position of the clamps, since each jaw 32 operates independently and is normally pulled down` wardlyby its respective spring 40. .If the -jaws 32 were interconnected, and one of them pressed against its jaw 30 sooner than the other, the latter would not firmly grip the sheets below it. This. objection is avoided by mountingl the jaws 32 at each side independently of the other and by providing separate means for drawing each downwardly to eective position. further be seen that by mounting the clamps to the rear of thevcarbon-paper carriage, they can remain in gripping or'eflrective position while fresh carbon-sheets are being attached to the clamping bars, whereas if the clamps were mounted at'the front of the carbon-paper'carriage they would have to be released before access could be had to the clamping bars. It will befurther observed that any vcreep which takes place in the set of forms being typed, due to the greater linear distance which the outside sheets around the platen must travel, will not be transmitted to the forms back of the clamps, or, in other words, the creeping will not be permitted to accumulate.. As soon as a set of forms has been typed andthe platen is raised to straighten the webs, the forms of the typed set will straighten themselves out, and when cut off, the creep which arose in typing will not affect the remaining portion of the plies which. have been held by the clamps against shifting. Still another advantage to be note'dis the mounting of the clamps at the rear of the carbonpaper carriage out of Contact with the carbon-sheets, so that when jaws 32 are snapped.

into Contact with jaws v30, no carbon im- It will.

would be the case if the clamps were'mount- 'ed at the front of the carbon-paper earriage.

Variations mayvbe resorted to withinitlievm Y scope of the invention, and portionsof the improvements may be used without others.

Having .thus described my invention, I

thereof, and upper-jaws pivotally mounted Y independentlyrofweach other for co-operation with said lower jaws, means v:for swinging v each of-.said upper jaws independently of the other to effective position againstthe lrespective lower jaw to grip the worksheets,-and means common to the swinging effective posit-ions.

,jaws forswinging both jaws away from 2. In a continuous billing typew'ritinU machine, the combination witha traveling carriage having al rearward extensionfofla carbonfpapeicarriage mounted uponsaid extension', clamping means carried by said carbon-paper carriage for grippingV plies of work-sheets therebetween, said means comprising lower 'aws fixed to said carbon- "paper carriage,on at each side thereof, and

upper jaws pivotally mounted for co-operation with said lower jaws, said upper jaws i being independent of each other, means for swinging each of said upper jaws to effective position against the respective lower jaw to grip the work-sheets, -and means for engaging said upper jaws to,1ock them in effective positions, said last-named means being operable-to release said upper jawsv and to swing both of said upper jaws simultaneously away from said lower jaws to in-v effective position.

3. In a continuous billing typewiiting machine, the combination with a traveling `carriage having a rearward extension. of a carbon-paper carriage mounted upon said eX- tension, clamping means carried by said i carbon-paper carriage for gripping plies of work-sheets therebetween, said means comprising lower jaws fixed to said carbonpaper carriage, one at each/side thereof, and

upper jans pivotally mounted for co-opera tion with said lower jaws, saidmupper jaws being independent of each other, means for swinging each of said upper jaws to effective position against the respective lower jaw to grip the work-sheets, means for simultaneously swinging said .upper jaws to pression 1s produced on the work-sheets, as ineffectiye position away from said lowerflao jaws to release the Work-sheets, said lastnamed means comprising a rock-shaft journaled in said carbon-paper carriage, r0ckarms fixed to said shaft, and members carried by said rock-arms for engaging said upper jaws to raise the upper jaws when said rock-shaft is operated, and meansfor operating said lrock-shaft comprising a forwardly and rearwardly movable handle,and

a rock-arm pivotall'y `connected at one end to said handle and fixed at the other end to said shaft, said members being' effective to raise the upper jaws when the handle is operated forwardly.

l J FRANK ALLARD;

Witnesses:

CATHERINE A. .NEWELL, EDITH Bl LIBBEY. 

